


Timeless Pet

by WildKitsune



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 21:48:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2827229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildKitsune/pseuds/WildKitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An accident involving a broken time turner gets Hermione stuck back in the 1940s.  In order to live out a normal life, all she has to do is give up her memories.  Can the stubborn young Gryffindor make that sacrifice?  Will she find a way to stop a young Dark Lord?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tomione_Forum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tomione_Forum/gifts), [TwistedTale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedTale/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 
> 
> **A/N:** This story was written for the Tomione Forum Secret Santa 2014 as a gift to TwistedTale.

**Timeless Pet**

**Prologue: Happy Christmas**

Hermione entered the 3rd year boy’s dorm holding her ill-tempered ginger cat tightly under one arm and a large bag under the other.  It made her smile to see her two best friends already looking through the gifts at the ends of their beds.

“Don’t bring him in here!”  Ron said as he quickly snapped Scabbers from the mess of his bed and thrust him into his pajama pocket.

Instead of listening Hermione dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus’s bed and stared wide eyed at the new broom in Harry’s hands.  He had gotten a Firebolt from somewhere and it seemed like quite an impressive present.

“Oh, _Harry_!  Who sent you _that_?”

“No idea, there wasn’t a card or anything with it.”  Harry said as if it was no big deal getting an expensive gift from an anonymous source.  Hermione blinked and frowned, as she looked at the broom in a new light.

“What’s the matter with you?” Asked Ron.

“I don’t know,” Hermione started slowly shaking her head, “But it’s a bit odd, isn’t it?  I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn’t it?”  She asked looking at the boys for confirmation.

Ron sighed annoyingly.  “It’s the best broom there is, Hermione.”

“So it must’ve been really expensive…” She tried to lead her friends in the same direction her thoughts were going.

“Probably cost more than all the Slytherins’ brooms put together.”  Ron said with gleeful look in his eyes.

“Well…”  Hermione started getting a bit fed up with hour dense the two were being.  “Who’d send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him who had sent it?”

“Who cares?”  Ron asked like she was a crazy person.  “Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it?  Can I?”

“I don’t think anyone should ride that broom just yet!”  Hermione said exasperated with them.

Both Harry and Ron looked at her dumbly.

“What d’you think Harry’s going to do with it, sweep the floor?”  Ron asked.

Before Hermione could answer the stupid question though Crookshanks sprang from Seamus’s bed toward Ron’s chest.

The redhead’s eyes went wide as to tried to protect the rat from the rampaging feline.  Once he had pushed the cat off his chest, he started to pick up packages to throw at the cat.

“RON STOP!”  Hermione yelled as both cat and rat circled the room as one chased the other.

“GET. HIM. OUT. OF. HERE!” Ron yelled back picking up a round package from the bag Hermione had brought in with her.

Hermione felt like she was watching in slow motion as Ron tossed the enchanted snow globe towards her familiar.  Not knowing what else to do she ran to put herself between her friend and her cat.

Hermione was never the most coordinated of witches, and even less so in only a dressing gown.  Reaching out to grasp the globe, she tripped on the hem of her dress, and went colliding right into its path.

Everything really went to hell as the snow globe shattered against her chest.  The room around her looked as if it was being ripped apart; her friends looked down at her with confused faces before they too were gone.

For a moment she was in complete darkness, as if she was nowhere at all, then the next she was in a very cold snowdrift.  Hermione felt the pain in her chest at where the globe had hit her and found the time turner with flicks of sand drifting away into the air.

Her eyes widened as she looked around, wondering where or more importantly when she had ended up.

  


 


	2. Chapter 2

**Rough Landing**

Taking in the sights around her she saw snow and barren trees, but there was something familiar about the place.  She pulled what little clothes she had on more tightly around her and tried to decide the best plan for survival in the cold winter night.

She had just determined to start marching through the snow when a pair of cloaked figures seemed to melt out of the shadows.

“By section 14 of the temporal protection act we are here to arrest you.” A cold gruff voice announced clearly.

“It’s just a girl.”  The other said stepping forward and pushing back the hood of his cloak. “She’s in her night things.”  He said before ripping off his cloak and wrapping it around her.

“She has used an unlicensed Time Turner.” the first said without pity.

“Well you can arrest her once we get her warmed up.”  The kinder one argued.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to use it.  I was given a permit, but I think it’s broken.”  Hermione said as she held up the small shattered thing in a trembling hand.

The one who had taken his hood down gave his companion a reproachful look. “Come with us, we will have it all figured out.”  He told her kindly. “Unfortunately we have to walk a bit to get deep enough into the forest to Apparate.” He told her as he rubbed her arms to try to get her warmed up.

“Forest?  Apparate?”  She asked dumbly for a moment.  “Are we still on Hogwarts grounds?”  She asked, a little relief in her voice.

“Not for long.”  The cold one said.  “We’re taking you to the Ministry.”

The kind one scooped her up and carried her bridal style the moment he notice she only had slippers on her feet.  She wiggled in the man’s arms uncomfortable at being carried, but glad for the warmth.

“What department handles things like this?”  She asked inwardly kicking herself for not already knowing the answer.

“Department of Mystery, we are Unspeakables.” The kind one said freely, gaining a grunt from his companion.

She looked at the man wide eyed.  She had read about the Unspeakables, well the little there was written about them. Their jobs were shrouded in mystery and no one really knew what they did.  They only knew that it was important and that it was safest not to ask.  Her next question dawned in her mind and again she kicked herself for not thinking to ask it sooner.

“What year is it?”

The man carrying her said with a smile.  “More importantly, when do you come from dear?”

“The twenty-fifth of December in the year nineteen, ninety-three Sir.” She reported honestly, both men stopped and looked at each other for a moment before walking a bit faster in the snow.  She wasn’t sure when she had landed, but she was sure she was a good ways off from the cozy boy’s dorm with her two best friends. As they crested a hill in the calm winter night she got her last glimpse of the castle before she felt suddenly like she was being shoved through a garden hose ear first.

When they landed, the man set her down and she fell to her knees retching on cool black floors.

“Guess she’s never been on a side along before.”  The cold man said impassively.

“Sorry dear, I should have thought to warn you.”  The kind one said patting her back.

Hermione looked at the two full-grown wizards, she’d read about Apparition and decided that the descriptions of the oddness of the feeling did not do it justice. She got slowly to her feet, as the remainder of the contents of her stomach seemed to settle once again.

“Where are we?”  She asked feeling very self-conscious of what she must look like with wind swept hair, wet slippers, and sick on her nightgown.

“You don’t need to know that.”  The gruff man said as the nice one cleaned and dried her clothes with a flick of his wand.

“It isn’t up to us what happens to you.” The kind one said eyeing his partner as they guided her down the dark hallway.  “The Director will decide what the best way forward is.”

“If it were up to me you would already be off to one of _our cells_ in Azkaban.” The gruff one added as if she needed a reminder he was suspicious of her.

She swallowed hard as she looked around her while they walked.  She thought over what she could do now, and everything around her screamed that she was at their complete mercy. She just hoped that this Director person was more like the kind one than the gruff one and would know a way to get her back to her own time.

The person behind the Director desk was nothing like she had imagined in the short time of knowing of the position. The slight woman couldn’t have been older than thirty-five and Hermione thought she would be shorter standing than she was sitting in the chair. She wasn’t at all the intimidating figure a title like The Director invoked.

“So you’re the one who set off our temporal alarms?”  She asked in a strained voice that made Hermione swallow a lump in her throat. Okay more intimidating than she had thought.

“Y-yes Ma’am.” She pressed out, but Hermione was nervous and there was one thing that always happened when she was nervous in front of an authority figure, word vomit. “I didn’t mean to, you see it was Crookshanks my cat and he was chasing around Scabbars which is only natural because he’s a rat and that’s what cats and rats do right? It’s in one’s instinct to try to kill the other and it’s in everyone’s instinct to try and survive, but then Ron got into the mess and he was throwing all the packages at Crookshanks! I couldn’t just stand there and let that happen so I tried to stop him and that was when the enchanted snow globe that I had gotten for Harry was tossed and I tried to catch it but I tripped and it smashed against my chest where my time turner was and it still hurts I think I’m at least going to have a large bruise there and it broke my time turner and then these guys showed up and they wouldn’t really tell me…” She finally stopped when the Director cleared her throat.

“That is enough girl; I get the jest of your story.” She said and turned her gaze to them men.  “When is she from?”

“She says she’s from Christmas nineteen, ninety-three, Ma’am.” The gruff one said like he didn’t believe a word of it.

The woman sighed and rubbed her eyes in thought. “We don’t have the power to send you back.”  She told Hermione sadly.  “If we did it would be a simple issue.  So you have two options, we can send you to a colony of people such as yourself, away from magic and anything that could get you in trouble, or we can erase your mind of all future knowledge so it can not be used in this era.”

“When are we anyway?” she asked. She just had to know before she could make a choice like that. This was the past obviously from what she had seen, but with wizards, it was hard to place era, they always wore robes and she hadn’t had a chance to view any wizard technology. “Are you sure there’s no way back at all?”

The woman’s mouth tightened into a stressed frown.  “None.  You have traveled back fifty-three years; we have nothing that can make such a jump on purpose.”

“Fifty-three years?” She asked blinking at the woman as she let that thought settle over her.  It was slow for Hermione and she blamed it completely on the recent shock. “You-Know-Who!”  She said then felt ridiculous for saying it.  “I mean, there is a great evil coming and we can stop it before it even…”

The Director silenced her with a stern look.  “No.  You _cannot_ give us any future knowledge. When you were given a Time Turner you would have been told the laws of time travel.”

Hermione sighed, feeling that stopping Voldemort before he was even an adult would be worth breaking a few rules.  Then it hit her, and the question was out of her mouth before she could even think it was unwise to ask it.  “If I chose to have my memory erased, would I be going back to Hogwarts?”

The woman looked at her with suspicion at the sudden change in questions.  “You are a magical child, we would make sure you could finish your education yes.”

“Than that is what I want.” She said nodding confirmation.  Even if she didn’t have her memories, she knew she could do the most good if she could keep an eye on the young Tom Riddle herself.

The woman looked at her a moment longer to make sure Hermione was sure before nodding herself. “We will be doing a specialized ritual that will take away all memory, though the sense of memory will still be there.  You’ll be able to relearn things you already knew very quickly. You shouldn’t have any problem catching up with the rest of your class at Hogwarts. What year were you in?”

“Third Ma’am.”  Hermione said thickly, as she started to worry about all the things she would have to reread and relearn. “So I won’t even remember my family or friends?”  She asked when the thought struck her.

The woman gave her a pitying look.  “You’ll remember then in a more emotional way. You will remember that you had friends and family and they made you feel certain ways. You may even get flashes of faces or other details, but there will be no concrete memory.  We have discovered that this is the kindest way.”

Hermione nodded slowly and swallowed again. “I don’t think I could do that other life, there’s still so much I don’t know.” She explained, knowing giving them her real reason would not be wise.

After that she was taken to a mostly empty room to get ready for the ritual that would be done.  She sat on the floor and looked down at her wand in thought.  She had to get a message to herself, something to remind her of her mission once she had lost all her memories. As she looked at the dirty bottom of her foot she got an idea.

She looked to the door before casting a heating charm she knew.  It would make the tip of her wand hot enough to burn.  Taking in a deep breath she stuffed her free wrist into her mouth to keep herself from screaming.  Thinking of the shortest thing, she could write she whimpered as she burned the message into the bottom of her foot.

_Tom R. = Evil_

Once the ordeal was over she cast a strong numbing charm on her foot and slipped the slipper back on to her foot.  She figured the charm would last at least a few days.  She just hoped she would be away from the Unspeakables by then, hopefully it would be enough.

After all was said and done, she had no clue about what she had gone through that night. A nice man called an Unspeakable told her she was a time traveler and she had agreed to erase her memory so that she could live out her life in their time.

He explained to her that she was a witch and they had a cover story prepared for her as to why she was entering school so late. He explained much to her in that time and she soaked it in like a sponge grasping for knowledge as the whole world was new again.

This was the first night of her new life and the only thing she could remember from before was the smell of burning pine and frankincense.

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
  


**A Muggle Name**

Over the next few days, she learned much about the time that would now be hers. Her teacher, an Unspeakable who wouldn’t give tell her his name, was impressed at how quickly she picked things up. He told her that learning things that she knew from before would be easier for her now as the knowledge was still locked away deeply inside her, but he hadn’t expected her to know so much about this time period.

He gave her the cover story they had planned for her. Once they felt she knew enough for this story to work, they supplied her with everything she would need to go to a mysterious magical school called Hogwarts.

It was Christmas day when she was taken up a long path towards a beautiful and familiar castle. A woman walked next to her and hovered a large trunk full of all of Hermione’s worldly possessions. They told her they were letting her keep her real name, and it felt good and familiar to think of herself this way.

The woman next to her was a Ministry witch from the Department of Magical Education. She’d been told Hermione was an orphan from the muggle war. It was only a small part of this new story for her, and she didn’t think the woman had any inkling of the truth.

She was taken into a large entrance hall where two wizards seemed to be waiting for them. One was older with gray hair and stern eyes. The other man was tall and thin with auburn hair and a twinkle in his eyes that seemed very familiar to her.

“Miss Granger I presume.” The older one asked looking to her escort rather than her. “You can place her trunk in here and I’ll have the Houselves take it to her dorm once we have time to sort her.”

The woman nodded and set the trunk down before turning to Hermione. “This is Headmaster Dippet and Professor Dumbledore.” The woman introduced more kindly than the older man did. “I’ll be picking you up once the school year is over at platform 9 ¾. If you need anything you can owl me at the Ministry.”

“Thank you Ma’am.” She said politely before looking apprehensively at the men. The taller one, Professor Dumbledore she reminded herself, put her more at ease than the woman had.

“Let me show you into the Great Hall Miss Granger, we were just about to start Christmas Lunch.” The Professor said with a gentle smile.

“Thank you Professor.” She said and waited a few steps before he felt comfortable to speak again. “Do you think there is any way I could visit the library after lunch? I feel like there is so much to catch up with and I only have a few days.”

“That would be fine Miss Granger, but you shouldn’t worry so much, the professors understand your position and we will make allowances until you catch up. Have you had any time to look over your school books?” he asked curiously as they walked into a huge hall that seemed to have an open roof. Hermione’s jaw dropped as she looked up at the amazing sight.

“It isn’t really open; it is an ancient enchantment that makes it look that way.” The professor told her helpfully.

“It’s amazing!” She gasped and smiled brightly up him.

“You get used to it.” A younger voice said from the single table in the middle of the hall, sounding almost board.

Hermione looked at the boy. He hadn't looked up from a large tome he was reading. He was a skinny boy with dark hair and he reminded her of someone she couldn’t remember. His back was to her so she couldn’t see his face.

“Mr. Riddle I don’t think Madam Pince would be happy to see one of the school’s books at the table.” The professor said in a much colder tone than he’d been using with her.

“Of course _Professor_.” The boy said before giving an exasperated sigh and marking his page. He looked back at them as he put the book into a bag he had next to his chair.

Hermione couldn’t help but flush a bit as the boy looked her over. He had a perfectly sculpted face and his mouth spread into a disarming smile the moment his eyes settled on her.

“I have to go get the sorting hat so that Miss Granger can be sorted, you will _behave_ while I’m gone Mr. Riddle.” The professor said in the same cold tone.

“ _Always_ _Professor_.” He the boy said without taking his eyes off her. The look made her skin prickle and her stomach flip all at once. She couldn’t remember any of her life before, but she was sure no boy had given her such focused attention before.

After a moment of hesitation, the Professor left her there alone with the handsome boy. “Granger, that’s a Muggle name.” He said once they were alone.

“My parents were Muggles.” She explained and bit her lower lip before puffing out her chest and walked over to the table to take the seat next to them. “They died a few weeks ago…” She explained as she tried to think of something to draw his attention besides her.

“They wouldn’t let you come to Hogwarts when you were eleven?” He guessed with a slight frown. “Sounds like muggles to me.”

“They just didn’t understand.” She said to defend her fictional parents.

“And they never would have. You’re so far behind I’m amazed they let you come to school at all. How old are you, thirteen?” He asked eyeing her again.

“Fourteen, you?” She asked looking him over and judging him to be about the same age.

“I’ll be fourteen next week.” He said suddenly looking a bit irritated. “So that puts you the age of a third year, and we’re already part way through the year. Do you know how impossible it will be for you to catch up?”

She sighed as her cheeks flushed again. “I know it’s going to be really hard but I’ve already read all the required textbooks from year one to three. That will help right?” She asked sounding very worried.

“You read all the textbooks, _all_ the textbooks?” He asked frowning. “Did you understand any of it?” he asked with a doubtful laugh.

“I think so; I just need some time to put it into practice.” She said thoughtfully. She’d been so excited to absorb all the comfortable the Unspeakables would let her get her hands on.

“We shall see.” He said still seeming doubtful.

“Could you tell me what this sorting process is?” She asked wishing they’d have given her more books about the school to read.

“The school is split into four Houses, one for each of the Founders. They each held different traits to be important in prospective students. Salazar Slytherin valued cunning and ambition, Rowena Ravenclaw favored those with intellect and curiosity, Godric Gryffindor liked those who are rash and bold, and Helga Hufflepuff seems to take anyone no one else wants.” He said giving her a knowing smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing full well when someone was making fun of her. “Well we will have to see which Founder wants me. I mean, what if someone is cunning, intelligent, and bold?” She asked with her own confident smile.

“ _I_ decided to join Slytherin.” He said in response.

Hermione rolled her eyes, already over the boy with his arrogant comments. If this hat thing gave her a choice, she would _not_ be joining Slytherin.

“Not that _you would_ be allowed in my noble House.” He said as if he could read her thoughts. “Salazar only allowed wizards to join his number.”

“So it’s an all-male House?” She asked with a frown, women could be just as cunning as men and it was ridiculous to segregate by gender.

“No, I mean they don’t welcome those without a wizarding heritage. As a muggleborn you have no wizards in your bloodline.” He said, as he seemed to decide to be nice to her again.

“Why is that important?” She asked with a deep frown.

“Because wizards are better than muggles.” He said as if it was obvious. “There for those wizards who were born of wizards are better than wizards who were born of muggles.”

She absorbed this information with a thoughtful frown. “Better is a subjective term and you just used it as if it were objective.” She told him with a frown. “Define what you mean by ‘better’.”

He raised an eyebrow at her for a moment and something stirred behind his eyes that somehow made her flush. “Better, that which is superior to another. The reasons wizards are better should be clear, but maybe not to someone of your upbringing. Our magic is the clearest difference, but I’ve met enough muggles in my short time in this world to know they are a deceiving and hateful lot.”

“Magic is merely a skill we possess and they don’t, but there are plenty of other skills in the world. As for the entire muggle race being deceiving and hateful, my parents loved me and they were good people. There are bad people in the world, but I don’t think it matters if they are muggle or wizard.”

“Oh yes, your parents loved you so much they held you back from your true calling for three years. I’m sure the time you’ve tried to control you power with no learning has been pleasurable for you.” He said sarcastically.

“I don’t… I don’t really know.” She said looking away from him as several professors entered the hall in a merry mood.

“Its time for your sorting dear.” Headmaster Dippet said more kindly than he had in the hall. “I see you’ve met young master Riddle. I hope you two are getting along, I think you’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

“Why?” Both Hermione and Riddle asked at the same time.

“Well Miss Granger will be returning with you to…” The headmaster slowed down as he noticed the looks his students were both giving him. “Well, to that muggle orphanage.” he said then cleared his throat. “So let’s get on to the Sorting shall we? Come up here Miss Granger,” he said motioning towards a small stool one of the professors has set down in the middle of the empty space.

Hermione knew she must have gone through this before but the knowledge didn’t make it any less nerve racking. It seemed this Sorting thing was a big deal and would affect her status at the school for years to come.

She sat on the stool and Professor Dumbledore came up behind her to place a large stiff hat on her head that slowly sank so she couldn’t see anything.

“Ahh, I’ve sorted you before.” A gruff by quiet voice said softly.

“What?” She asked startled she looked around before she realized the hat was talking to her.

“Yes, yes, I can see it all. They’ve locked that away from you haven’t they, locked lots of things away from you. Interesting, interesting. Do you wish to know where I placed you before? Do you wish to go back?”

“How am I supposed to know?” She asked softly.

The hat chuckled at her. “Last time I told you had a choice, that two houses would be a good match for your mind and passions. Not the way you are now, not the witch you have become since last time. No, there’s only one place for you now. GRYFFINDOR!” It said the last word loud enough so that the whole room could hear it.

That night as Hermione was getting dressed for bed there was a sudden pain on her foot as if she’d stepped on a hot poker. She hopped over to her bed before pulling the foot up to see what had happened. There written in her own hand was a deep burn.

_Tom R. = Evil_

She blinked at the wound for a long moment. She in her brilliance had found a way to send herself a message. Something important enough she had felt the need to wound her own skin over it. As she wondered whom Tom R. was, flashes of the young Slytherin boy came to her mind. His last name was Riddle, but she had never gotten his first. There was a part of her though that knew; she somehow knew that was the boy she was warning herself about.

She knew she couldn’t tell anyone about the message so she tried to remember a spell that would make the searing pain go away. Deciding on a cooling charm she’d read about she cast it onto her foot and smiled, as the result was perfect.

Once that was done her thoughts had room to drift back to Riddle. If he was the Tom she had warned herself about, she wondered what she could do about it. He must be very evil in the future, if she was willing to break the law and scar herself to keep this information.

She would have to keep an eye on him.


	4. Chapter 4

  
  


**Together But Different**

Over the next few days Hermione found out Riddle’s first name was indeed Tom.  She tried her best to keep an eye on him, but he spent much of his time in the Slytherin dorms where she couldn’t follow.  Whenever they had time to talk he acted as if she wouldn’t be spending very long at the school, that she would flunk out easily and the professor’s had done her a disservice in even allowing her to think that she could just pick up her education in year three.

Once the other students returned from Holiday things only got worse between her and Tom.  She couldn’t find any evidence but she was pretty sure he was sending other Slytherins to come bother her as she tried to make friends.

Hermione didn’t think she was very good at this whole friend making thing, and she wondered if she had been in her previous life.  Even though she was three years behind in practical learning, anyone she talked to in her own house seemed to not have read the book at all.

When classes started that became more clear as she seemed to know more correct answers than anyone else in the class.  This was true until she attended her first Ancient Runes class.  It was the first time she had seen Tom since the Holiday and he seemed smug to see her there.

“Granger, you realize that this class takes a basic understand of both Charms and History of Magic?  That’s why they don’t offer it until third year?”  He asked with his charming smile well in place.

“Yes, and I spoke to Professor Cornelius about it already.  He thinks I’ll be able to catch up as long as I’m willing to devote myself.”  She told him looking around for a seat in the class away from the snob.

She frowned as she realized she had to choose between sitting at the back of the class or sitting next to Tom.  Torn between the lesser of two evils she sat down next to the charming prat.

“I’m not letting you copy.”  He told her softly.  “Well not for free.”

Before she had a chance to answer the professor started the class with a lecture.  She took studious notes and started to become more and more irritated as Tom didn’t seem to be taking any.

“Keeping the fifth rule of decoding in mind, how would this be translated?”  Professor Cornelius asked as he made a series of runes appear on the blackboard.

Hermione’s hand shot up into the air as it had in all her other classes that day, but unlike her other classes one other hand shot up as well.

“Ah, Mr. Riddle, what do you think?”  The professor asked with a smile reserved for a teacher’s pet.

“It doesn’t.”  He said with his smug knowing smile.

“I’m sorry Mr. Riddle, but it does.”  The professor said and then turned to Hermione.  “Miss Granger?”  He asked with a bit less kindness.

Taking in a deep breath, Hermione set her shoulders before she started to speak.  “Well using the fifth law it would transla…”  She started but Tom shook his head distracting her and making her look down to her notes.  She blinked at the page when she saw what Tom had noticed first.  She groaned inwardly then shook her own head.  “Professor he doesn’t translate into anything without using the third law.  According to the book, you have the fifth and third law mixed up.”

“I…”  Cornelius started then frowned to come look at her scroll.  He took some time as he read over her notes and Hermione took that moment to glance at Tom.

His expression was an odd mix of feelings, somewhere between impressed, angry and predatory.  The look made her blush for a reason she couldn’t say and she quickly looked away to disburse her own feelings.

Classes continued like this for the rest of the year.  Tom soon stopped teasing her about flunking out and a full on rivalry developed over their grades.  By the end of the year they were number one and two in their year which only seemed to make Hermione more of a target for dislike around the school.

Even though she hadn’t made any friends during the school year she was still dreading the summer.  When it came time to board the train she dragged her feet and was one of the last to get on.

She went from car to car with most people claiming they were full up.  When she finally got to Tom’s car she didn’t even bother asking and walked right by without opening the door.  As the train started to move the door behind her slipped open.

“No place to sit Granger?”  Tom asked from just down the corridor.  “We have an extra seat.”  He said in his always charming tone.  There were groans from within which cut off abruptly as Tom shot them a sharp look.

“No thank you, I’ll find a place.”  She said not wishing to subject herself to whatever plot he was thinking.

“If you say so Granger.”  He said and shook his head with his knowing grin.

After trying the rest every other car in the train she still had not found a place to sit.  She just couldn’t understand why there was no other students in the entire school that liked her at all.  When she felt tears coming on she ran to the girl’s bathroom and locked herself in.

Sitting in one of the small train stalls she let the tears loose crying at how hard things had been for her this year.  She was sure back in her other life she had made friends, but she just didn’t know how it had happened.  For some reason the idea of crying in a bathroom was connected to her past friends, though she brushed off that thought as silly.

When there was a knock at the door it stopped her tears short.

“Granger, I saw you come this way.”  Tom said in an almost kind voice.  “Please come out, we’re going to have to spend the whole summer together at that horrible place, we should be friends.”

“You hate muggle-borns!”  She yelled, verbalizing it for the first time that year.

“Whoever said that?”  He asked sounding both surprised and impressed with the deduction.

She stomped to the bathroom door and swung it open as a sudden anger replaced her sadness.  Her face was still red and blotchy from her crying, but she didn’t care.

“You don’t fool me Tom Riddle.”  She started crossing her arms.  “You may not say it in public but I see how your minions act towards me and the other muggle-borns.  I know they wouldn’t act without direct orders from you.”

He blinked at the girl yelling in his face a few times before smiling widely and pushing her into the bathroom so he could close the door behind him.

“You have no proof of anything like that.” he said leaning against the door to block her way.

“I may not have clear proof, but I can understand the things I see.”  She said standing up straighter after being manhandled.  “You may have most of the staff fooled and a good portion of the student body, but we should be clear; I see you.”  She said her chin held high.

Instead of being angered or annoyed by her bossy manner, or her harsh words Tom only smiled more broadly.

“I see that.”  He said after a long silence of just looking her over.  “Honestly I didn’t think you would last the year Mudblood.”  He told her in a tone that didn’t match his words.

A slow bought of anger was filling her head as he seemed to be taking everything so calmly.  When the vile term dropped from his lips like it was a pet name she couldn’t hold back any longer.  Her fist flew without her permission and she clocked him right in the nose.

His head jerked with the force of the blow and his hand came up in surprise by the muggle attack.  She had split his lip and he only smiled more broadly at her.

“You hit me.”  He said sounding surprised.

“You called me mudblood.”  She told him heatedly pulling back her fist to hit him again.

Before she could act he had he grabbed her wrists in a strong grip shaking his head.  “I don’t think so my pet.”  He said looking her in the eyes.

“I’m not your pet!”  She said struggling to free herself.

“But I want you.”  Tom said as if that settled the matter.  “You’ve surprised me in so many ways.  You have a mind that can almost keep up with my own.  You have fire enough to hit your betters.  What other surprises will you have for me in the future?”  He asked sounding as if was giving her high praise.

“You can’t have me Tom.”  She said giving one final jerk to free herself.  At the same moment Tom let go of her wrist so that she would fall back onto her ass.  “You will never have me.”  She said as fiercely as she could from her prone position.

“We will see my pet, we have a whole summer together.”  He reminded her before leaving the bathroom to cut off any useless argument.

Hermione spent several long moments sitting on the floor of the bathroom as she tried to decide what exactly had just happened.  She decided finally he was just trying to make her feel even uneasy around him.

With a deep breath she got to her feet and made her way to the first cabin with a free seat she could find.  Ignoring dirty looks she sat down and pulled out a book to busy herself for the rest of the ride back.

Next year would be better, she decided.  She would work on making friends so that Tom couldn’t get to her so very easily.  She looked over her book at the boys across the way.  They were second years so she hadn’t had any real communication with them before now.  The one on the left had bright red hair that stirred a memory inside her.

“What’s your name?”  She asked suddenly putting the book down in her lap.

“Me?” he asked looking to his friend to make sure he had it right.  “Septimus Weasley.”

She frowned and shook her head.  “I thought so.”  She said suddenly not knowing what she would say to him.  She picked the book back up and pretended it never happened.

The two boys whispered back and forth to each other for a good span of the trip before the Septimus’ friend spoke up.

“I’m Albert Prewett, you’re in Gryffindor like us right?”  He asked as he tried to give her a somewhat friendly smile.

“I am.”  She agreed as she wondered what they were up to.  “I know its sort of odd being sorted in one’s third year…”

“What is the muggle world like?”  Septimus suddenly cut in with wide eyes.

“I don’t really know much about it myself actually.”  She said with a frown.  “Well nothing you couldn’t read in a book.  When my parents were…I lost a lot of memory.”

“That must be awful.”  Albert said and elbowed his friend for being so blunt.

The rest of the trip was better than most of the year.  It seemed Hermione had a knack for talking to preteen boys who she wasn’t in academic competition with.

When they finally got to the station 9¾ the woman that had dropped Hermione off at the school was waiting for to take her and Tom to take to the orphanage that would be their home for the summer.  As they drove Hermione sat in silence as Tom charmed the woman, the woman was obviously under his spell like so many others.  It annoyed her to watch him flatter and flirt with the middle aged woman.  She wondered what the point was, why did he need almost everyone to like him.

When they were standing in front of the sad looking gate that would lead her to her new home she suddenly felt very depressed.

“Don’t worry, its worse inside.”  He told her as he looked around and grabbed the end of his trunk.  “Better get inside.”

“You’ve really lived in this place your whole life?”  She couldn’t help but ask as she started tugging at her own trunk.

“Well besides going to school.  I think you’ll find Hogwarts feels a lot more like home.”  Tom told her and smirked.  “But don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

Somehow the promise only made her feel worse about the coming months.

 


	5. Chapter 5

  
  


**Coming Home**

Over the next few years Hermione found friends at Hogwarts and carved a place out for herself among the other Gryffindors.  Tom turned out to be right when he called Hogwarts home.  After their fifth year Hermione started to spend her summers with the friends and so did Tom.

In public Tom treated her with little interest except academic.  They went back and fourth being the top of the class so they were paired in most of the classes they had together.  Outside of public eye though he only became more persistent in his pursuit for her.

During the summer between their fifth and sixth year Mrs. Perwett decided it was high time Hermione put a little effort into her looks.  She was a harsh task mistress as she made the bookish girl practice putting her bangs up into liberty curls and settling her frize into soft waves every day before she was allowed to read.  At the end of that summer the woman _rewarded_ Hermione by straightening and sizing her over large front teeth.

This had two main effects for her sixth year.  The first was that many of the boys from other houses now wished to pay attention to her for some ridiculous reason.  The second was that many of those same boys had to visit the hospital wing with mysterious injuries.

Hermione beamed as she stepped onto the train for her seventh and final year at Hogwarts.  She greeted friends as she walked down the corridor slowly to her cabin.  She really couldn’t wait to get changed and pin her newly polished Head Girl badge on so everyone could see.  Not only would it be useful for many of the apprenticeships she was thinking about for next year, she planned to do her best for the school with the honor they had bestowed her.

When she opened the Head’s personal cabin a familiar smirk shined back at her.

“We are going to have a lot of reason to spend time together this year pet.”  Tom said as she casually lunged across one of the seats waiting for her.

“Don’t you ever give up Riddle?”  She asked in as cold a tone as she could muster.

“Not until I have what I want.”  He told answered the way he always did.

“Are you going to take this responsibility seriously at least?”  She asked as she looked for a way to get into her trunk without leaning over his longing figure.

“You wound me, I always take things as seriously as they deserve.”

“You didn’t even look at the book for Slughorn’s final exam last year!”  She reminded him as she was still irritated over the fact he had scored better than her.

“As much seriousness as it deserved.”  He said as his hand darted out and he pulled her onto his lap.

“Let go!”  She said push against his chest and trying to get to her feet.

“Hermione, will you at least admit that I am the closest thing you have to an intellectual equal in this world?  I mean I do surpass you, but that is what you deserve.”  He said cooling pushing waves of golden brown off her neck.

She rolled her eyes and just glared at him without answering.  She had learned over the years that witting comebacks only encouraged him.  He sighed when he realized she didn’t want to play along and released her so she could move off his lap.

Once she had move back onto her own feet she straightened out her skirt before crossing her arms.  “You are in my way.”  She said motioning to her trunk with her head.

“You can ask more nicely than that.  I know you have to have manors somewhere in there mudblood.”  He said grinning at her.  “Better hurry up or we will be late for our meeting with the Prefects.”

Hermione sighed.  “Will you please move out of my way so I can get changed?”  She asked in a irritated voice.

“That depends, where will you be changing?”  He asked as he ran his eyes over her just to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Tom!”  She growled and stomped her foot.

He grinned more widely.  “I love it when you scream my name.”  He said getting to his feet.  “I’ll meet you in the Prefects carriage.”  he said before leaving her to change.

Tom seemed to be letting her take the lead with the Prefects and that worried her.  She glanced at him every so often and saw him watching with what would look like disinterest to most anyone else.  But she had been watching Tom for a long time now, and she knew when he was taking in a room.  She wondered what he was up to.

Later, after the great feast and she had helped get the first years to their dorms she made her way up to the Head’s suite.  They had private rooms, with a joined common room.  She was excited to have her own room for the first time she could remember and she planned to not let Tom ruin it for her.

She had expected him to be in the common room when she entered, expected him to be lounging as he always did and waiting with a smirk on his lips.  When he wasn’t there she wondered if he was still down with the Slytherins and a smile turned up the edges of her mouth as the idea he was taking his job seriously for once.

Just as she was about to head to her room to change she heard a sound from behind his closed door.  With a frown she headed over to listen more closely, wondering what he could have in his room.  When she pressed her ear against the door she heard much more clearly.

“Oh god…”  It was a female voice and Hermione blushed crimson as she realized what she must be listening to, but she couldn’t seem to get herself to move away.  “Tom please!”

“I told you what would happen if you talked.  I don’t need that nosy Granger in my business.”  Tom snapped and there was a sound of flesh being smacked hard.

The woman whimpered, but it ended in a moan that made Hermione flush from head to toe.  She stepped back from the door and nearly ran to her room to get away from the idea of what he was doing so very close.

As she changed into her sleeping clothes and brushed out her curls she did long arithmancy equations in her head so that she didn’t have to think about anything else.  As she layed in her bed waiting for sleep to come she tried to keep her mind rolling over plans and academics, but imagines of Tom Riddle naked above the unknown girl soon floated to the surface.

Since she didn’t know who the girl was exactly her mind filled in some perfectly sculpted beauty.  She looked like many of the girls she had seen Tom with over the years. As she slipped into darkness of sleep it was only his face that burned into her mind.

_She felt cool smooth lips against the column of her neck.  Long precise fingers brushed the skin of her thighs as he pushed her dress up her form._

“ _Hermione…”  He breathed against her neck, letting his breath tickle her skin.  “You are being naughty.”_

“ _Humm?”  She asked as she opened her eyes slowly to take in her surroundings.  She was in a large open room that was oddly familiar, but she knew she had never actually seen it.  He rolled off of her as she sat up to look around suddenly.  “This is the Chamber of Secrets.”  She told the man who now laid next to her._

_He gave her his beautiful smile as she nodded.  Tom looked at her like a starving man looked at a feast.  “Stop thinking so much.”  he told her as he moved to push her back down onto the bed._

“ _You’re Voldemort.”  She told him as if he didn’t know._

“ _Lord Voldemort.”  he corrected which made her roll her eyes._

“ _How do I know that?  How am I here?”  She asked as she let him push her down and move on top of her like it was where she belonged._

“ _They can’t hide the knowledge from your dreams, now stop thinking so much.  We are here for a much better reason than talking.”  he reminded her as he leaned down to kiss her neck._

“ _I don’t want you like this!”  She told him as her chin tilted up to give him better access to her neck._

“ _You don’t?”  Voldemort asked as he moved back to look her in the eyes.  “I are a horrible liar.”  He told her matter of factly.  “You should really leave it to the professionals.”_

“ _I’m not lying, I am only having a sex dream because you were having…”_

“ _You wanted to be her.”  he whispered in her ear.  “You want to feel my hands on her body.  You want me to fuck you until that brilliant mind of yours stops working.  Just admit it, we are all friends here.”_

“ _You’re evil!”  She tried she counter as he pushed the dress further up her form.  “Why would I want you?”_

“ _I’m brilliant, and you need a man to take control.  A man strong enough to take control from you.  You don’t want to have to be weaker than you are to have a man who can handle you.  I’m really your only option.”  Tom said as she ran light fingers up and down her neck._

_She couldn’t deny how good it felt to have him on top of her, but she tried to shake off the little thrills his touch sent through her skin.  “This isn’t real.”  She said trying another tactic._

“ _No, it isn’t, which is all the more reason to enjoy it.”  He cooed, his hands now sliding down her arms to her wrists.  “Don’t make me punish you.”_

_Suddenly ropes like snakes shot of the bed twisting around her wrist and ankles.  In one swift movement they had her spread eagle on the bed below him.  Her heart was racing as she tested the bonds and found the solid._

“ _What did you do?”  She snapped shaking below him._

“ _Only what you wanted me to.”  He said with a wide smile as he looked down at her prone form.  “Give into your desire pet…. I promise you will enjoy it.”_

“ _I don’t like when you call me that.”  She told him as her resistance was starting to break.  He was right after all, this was a dream, how would it hurt to enjoy herself?_

“ _You do.”  He countered._

“ _Do you have to disagree with everything I say?”  She asked glaring up at him._

_He smirked as his wand appeared in his hand with a flick of his wrist.  “Only when you try to lie to yourself.” He told her before running the hot tip of his wand down the front of her dress to part the front._

_Hermione blushed at the way Tom smiled down at her naked body before remembered he was a dream.  When she let the idea that this wasn’t really Tom sink in her the pleasure of it faded and so did the dream._

She woke with a whimper, still aroused by the dream, but not in the least bit satisfied by it.  She had a sudden rush of anger at Tom for not finishing what he started before she remembered he hadn’t started anything.  She took in slow cooling breaths as she tried to relax.

As she lay in bed she heard voices outside her door.  She paused for a moment, before her own frustration made her act rashly.  She got out of bed and pulled on her robe in a huff before stomping to her door and yanking it open.  She wanted to know who the woman had been, but she couldn’t really say why.

A startled woman looked up at Hermione with wide eyes.  They were sitting on the couch now, both dressed, though wrinkled.  Tom glanced over with a knowing smile as if all was exactly how he had planned it.

With him looking at her with his triumphant grin over the poor girl’s head she could help but let her anger flair.

“No co-ed visitors after curfew!”  She snapped and looked to the girl, she didn’t recognize her so she knew she was not in seventh year.  “Name and house.”  She ordered.

The girl was in such a fright she couldn’t do anything but just shake her head at the Head Girl.  “Elizabeth Branstone, Hufflepuff.”  Tom supplied with a helpful smile.

“So that is ten points from Slytherin and Hufflepuff.”  Hermione said as she locked gazes with the bane of her existence.


	6. Chapter 6

  
  


**Green Eyed Monster**

He watched as she sent the little Hufflepuff back to her dorm crying.  It had been a test of course to see how she would react to the fact he was with another woman.  His little pet had surpassed expectations.  The delicious anger still radiating off her was intoxicating.

“What is your problem pet?  Jealous?”  Tom asked with a knowing smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.  “You wish Riddle.  I’m just tired.”  She said walking back to her own dorm.  With the sharp slam of her door he couldn’t help but smile.  He was getting to her, and it was only their first night living so close together.

Over the next few weeks he decided to play things straight, if he pressed her too fast he was sure she’d just dig her heels in just to be stubborn.  It wasn’t as if she was his only project.

Several years ago, he’d found one of the entrances into the Chamber of Secrets. There, in his free time, he studies the texts of his ancestor.  There was one secret he was still working on releasing, and it had taken him longer than he would have liked.  He was sure he’d have already found the way to free Slytherin's favorite pet if his own didn’t keep such a good eye on him.

It was a Saturday afternoon when he finally had a breakthrough.  He was in the small office of the chamber reading one of Salazar’s many notebooks when he came upon a passage about the ancient snake.  He smiled as he skimmed the words and then leapt from his seat to try the incantation found within.

He dropped the book in the large chamber with the sculpture of his ancestor and spoke the words of summoning from the book.  For a moment nothing happened, then ever so slowly Salazar’s eyes opened.  They were as green as the House crest and it took Tom a moment to realize they were about to spray him with something.  He dodged out of the way, but the book he had been reading got doused in the green liquid.  It melted and turned to sludge before his eyes.

“No!”  He yelled as he lost his first lead in a year.  He glared up to Slytherin’s face.  “You’ll not best me in the end old man.”  Tom told the stone before deciding he needed some air.

It was just after midday when he made his way back up to the castle proper.  He walked the halls casually, his hands in his pockets as if he was just enjoying the free day.  Only the few that really knew him would be able to see the subtle signs of his anger.

“Something wrong Tom?”  Well someone who really knew him or a fool who didn’t know when to keep his nose out of things.

“Fine _Professor_.”  Tom said with a smile spread wide.  “Just enjoying the day.”  He lied smoothly.

“Of course, I don’t know how I’d misread that.”  Professor Dumbledore said with a knowing gaze.  “Carry on.”

He was heading down to lunch when a pair of Slytherins came up to him and bowed deeply.  “My Lord.”  The older one addressed him respectfully.  “We were following her as you asked….”  He paused and glanced up to his leader.

“But?”  He asked coldly, feeling his anger rising as this worm was about to make an excuse to him.

“Well she went into her dorm and we really couldn’t spy on her there.”  The younger one said quickly.

His mood lightened slightly.  “Oh.  Is that all?  I don’t really care what she does in her dorm.”  He said thinking she was most likely studying.  The girl was obsessed; had to read every word in the book, had to complete every assignment she was given.  He smiled at the idea of giving her his own assignments.

“The only thing is my Lord, she isn’t alone.”  The older one said and Voldemort could hear him holding his breath.

“What?  What embolic would ever think it was safe to go back to that mudblood’s dorm alone with her?”  He asked his minion, his voice deadly calm.

The two students exchanged looks and both took a step back at Tom’s demeanor.  “His name is Rubeus Hagrid, he’s a fourth year Gryffindor my Lord.”

“The half breed?”  Tom asked remembering the fool from his sorting.  It was hard not to remember a first year that was already as tall as most of the professors.

“Yes my Lord.”  The younger of the two nodded.

“I’ll handle this myself.”  Voldemort told them before turning to go back to the dorm he shared with Hermione.

Didn’t she know by now that she belonged to him?  Why would she think it was okay for her to be alone with another man, let alone some half-breed that wasn’t fit to be going to this school.

When Tom got to the door to their common room he composed himself, he couldn’t let her know how this affected him, or she’d have power.  No, he needed to act his usual calm and charming self.

He opened the door and glanced around the room casually.  The door to her room was open and he could hear them in there speaking.  He glanced inside and saw the two of them sitting on the floor with a few books spread out around them.

After making sure neither of them had noticed him, he spent some time watching the exchange.  Her posture was straight, and he could see she was completely focused on the subject matter and not the oaf sitting next to her.  But the oaf was another matter.  He was blushing something fierce, stumbling over his words as he tried desperately to impress her.

“You two know that lunch is almost over?”  Tom asked after he’d decided his best plan of attack.

The half breed jumped at the sound of his voice knocking a bottle of ink over.  Tom schooled his face to only show concern for their well-being.

“Oh, yeah?”  The tall boy asked as she tried to clean the mess.  “Eh best be going then.  Thank you so much Hermione.”  He said as she took the bottle from his hand and put the ink back into its container with a wave of her wand.

“We can talk more about it tomorrow Rubeus.”  She said as she set a gentle hand on the oaf’s arm.  The moron left in a rush as Hermione continued to tidy things up.

“So your cronies told you I was in here with a _boy_ and you’d to come rush to break it up?”  She asked looking up at him with an almost amused smile.

“My cronies?”  Tom asked with amusement.

“Don’t try and deny it Riddle, I spotted then following me around ages ago.  I know they must be yours.”  She said shaking her head and heading to exit her room.  Tom shifted so that he was in her way.

“Call me Tom, or Master, or anything more…personal.”  He said looking down at her as she glared up at him.

“Let me through Riddle, I wanted to go to lunch.”  She said trying to move past him as he just shifted back into her way.

“I wish you’d just relax around me a little.”  He said as let his anger show a bit now that they were alone.

Instead of backing up like the Slytherins had done she looked him in the eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.  “Tom Riddle you get out of my way right this moment or I’ll…”  She was cut off as he leaned in and took her lips in an angry kiss.

His hands moved to her small waist and he pulled her body against his in a rough embrace.  He held her with bruising force, putting all his anger, all his true self into the kiss.  Instead of being scared away, as most of the women he’d let see this side of him did, she actually pressed herself back against him.  She kissed him back with just as much anger and fire as he felt.

His anger had always burned cold, but hers, it burned hotter than he’d ever felt before.  It was like holding a raging inferno and he knew he’d to have more.  Their kiss was more of a heated lust filled battle and he didn’t wish for it to ever end.

When she finally pulled loose from him she was breathless and glaring.  “What was that for?”  She asked angrily, with an edge of something else.

He smiled at her, tasting blood and realized she must have bitten his lip.  His hand moved up to touch the small wound delighted that his pet could meet him move for move.

“I needed to let off some stress, seems so did you.”  Tom told her with a wink.  “Would you like to join me in my room and we can continue this pleasure?”

“Not if you were the last man on earth!”  She snapped before pushing past him.  She headed out of their dorm at almost a run.  He thought she was running from what pleasure that moment between them had brought.  Now that she’d tasted it, she’d be back.  Now that he’d tasted it, he’d to assure she’d be his, _forever_.

Filled with a new energy Tom headed back down to the Chamber of Secrets and decided to look over his own notes.  His tongue played over the split in his lip as he read, every time he tasted the blood and felt the small edge of pain he thought of his beautiful pet and what she’d be like once she gave herself completely over to that fire burning inside of her.

After a few more hours of study he realized what had been the problem with his first incantation.  A wide smile spread across his lips and he shook his head at his own misjudgment.

He got to his feet more slowly this time, and headed back out into the main room.  He found the correct place he should stand and moved into a proud and stiff posture.  He spoke the words with an older cadence to the words, one that would have been more fitting in Salazar’s time.  When all was still he promised himself if he freed the Basilisk tonight he’d take his reward in Hermione’s bed.  A moment later the mouth of the giant statue’s opened, a large tongue like snake slithered free.

Once he’d given his new pet its orders he went to get some food from the kitchen.  He’d gone most of the day without eating, and if he were to keep that silent promise he’d need his strength.

When he got back to their dorm, it was empty. He sat on the sofa in the common room and ate from the basket of treats the elves had made him.  He thought about the kiss he’d shared with his mudblood.  The passion she’d shown him was undeniable, and she was fooling herself if she thought he was going to leave her alone after one taste.

His mind started to work over the best way in which he could manipulate her into seeing what she already wanted from him.  He wanted to be invited into her bed tonight and he was sure there was a way to achieve his goal.

He wondered if this was what love was like, but shook his head at the silly thought.  His pet had a pleasing form, and a pleasing mind.  No, he just enjoyed playing with her in different ways from his other projects.  He liked the way she saw through his charm, and pretty face.  He enjoyed it more that she saw him for what he really was, and didn’t quiver in fear either.  He was sure one day he’d break her and then have to dispose of her, but today he could just have his fun.

Tom was startled out of his thoughts as she opened the door in front of him.  He hadn’t exactly finished his planning as he’d let his mind wonder.  With a shake of his head he smiled at her.  He couldn’t show that she was somewhat of a distraction to him.

Hermione looked around their shared room and frowned.  “No visitors tonight?”  She asked when she realized they were alone once again.

“Must we play these games?  I thought after this afternoon we could be honest with one another.”  He said lazing back onto the sofa as he met her eyes.  Her cheeks flushed and that only made him smile more.

“This afternoon was a mistake.”  She said standing with her back ramrod straight.

Tom sighed and rolled his eyes at her.  “We’ve been playing around each other for years pet.  I know you’re bright, so you must see how much of a match we’re.”  He told her as he got to his feet.  “Just think of what we could accomplish together?”  He asked stepping into her personal space.

She narrowed her eyes and held her ground as she looked up at his taller form.  “What sort of things would those be?”  She asked tightly.  “We both know our goals couldn’t be near the same.”

“What gave you that idea?”  He asked his hand moving to rest of her hip.

“Maybe the fact that you’re evil incarnate and I want to help and protect people.”  She said bluntly.

“Evil incarnate am I?”  He asked with amusement.  “Evil is a subjective term and you just used it as if it were objective.” He told her echoing an argument she’d used long ago. “Define what you mean by ‘evil’.”

She held her breath and blushed as he remembered the conversation they’d had when they first met.  “You don’t care for anyone but yourself.  You’re willing to hurt others to get your way.  You don’t care about what the cost could be, that’s evil.”  She told him firmly.

He settled a second hand on her waist and nodded as she spoke.  “So, join me and be my...conscience.”  He told her as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.  “Tell me what costs are worth paying.”

As his hot breath brushed over the small hairs of her neck she shivered.  “Do you think your band of goons would ever actually accept that?”  She asked him more breathlessly still fighting herself.

“Let me worry about them, you’re the only woman remotely worthy of me, and we both know it.”  He told her before he let his lips lightly brush against her skin.  ‘And I suspect I’m the only man who’ll ever be able to keep your interest.”

“What do you want Tom?”  She asked as she was obviously trying hard to keep her composure.

“What I’ve always wanted.”  He said as he teased her earlobe with his tongue, gently and soft.  “I told you a long time ago that I want you.  Did you not believe me?”

“What about my bloodline?”  She asked, she was obviously trying to upset herself more than him.

A hand moved into the thick waves of her hair, he grasped it sharply and jerked her head back so she was forced to look into his eyes.  She gasped and her eyes widened in pleasure he was sure she didn’t even understand.  “If you’re mine that’s all that matters.  Give in my sweet little pet.”

She was shaking in his arms until the very end.  Her eyes suddenly changed into a glare once again.  “Sweet?”  She asked making a face that seem disgusted with the word.

He laughed at her reaction and shook his head.  “You’re right, sweet isn’t the word for you.  How about fierce, and wild?”  Tom suggested, still holding onto her locks tightly.

She closed her eyes and he could see her doing mental calculations on her best course of action.  He smirked amused for a moment before he pulled her against him and took her lips in a new breathless kiss.  He couldn’t have her damned logic getting in the way of what he wanted when he was so very close.

When he felt her relax in his arms a bit he pulled back to look into her eyes once again.  “Hermione, stop thinking about tomorrow” he said brushing her cheek with the side if his hand.  “Let’s just enjoy tonight.”

She was breathless from the kiss and she couldn’t help but shiver at his touch.  She looked up into his eyes for a long moment; since she didn’t try to pull away, he decided to allow it this time.

“Tonight would mean nothing.”  She said boldly as her face turned pink once again.  “And if you told anyone, anyone at all, I’d make you sorry.”  She said in a tone that he believed.

“So do you want a taste before you agree to my terms?”  He asked as his finger tightened in her hair.  “If that’s what you want we play under my terms.”

“Your terms?”  She asked with a frown.

“You say the word _mercy_ and everything will stop, but that’s the only power you’ll have tonight.”  He told her as he let a cold smile settle on his lips.  He wanted her to see him as he really was, he wanted this woman to be the one he didn’t pretend with.  The look she gave him at his offer made his pants tighten, he could see his own excitement reflected in her eyes.

She said nothing, but the look was all he needed to know that she wanted this as much as he did.  Tom nodded to himself as all sorts of depraved delights ran through his head.  He planned to enjoy every moment of this night as if it would be the only time he’d ever taste her.

“Now let’s get a little more comfortable pet.”  He told her before guiding her back into her room by a fist full of her hair.  He wasn’t too rough; he just used it as a lead and a way to keep her body close to his.

“Tom!”  She gasped as she stumbled over her feet.  The answer her was a hard jerk of her neck.

“Tonight you’ll call me Lord.”  He told her as his excitement pulsed with the idea.  Her growl only made him want it more.  “Do you’ve something to say pet?”  He asked turning her head back to face him.  “Only one word.”

“No, my Lord.”  She said, but her voice still held the note of strong defiance.

“You agreed to this rather quickly.”  He reminded her as his free hand ran down her neck to start unbuttoning her shirt at the collar.  “How long have you wanted me pet?”

She whimpered and shook her head, not wishing to answer the question.

“That long humm?  I suspected as much.”  Tom spoke as if she’d answered clearly.  “This is taking too long.”  He growled at how much clothes she was wearing.  “Stand perfectly still or you’ll get hurt.”  He told her before stepping back and withdrawing his wand.

With exact wand movements he started to cut away pieces of her clothes.  To her credit, she didn’t move an inch as fabric fell away from her.

 


	7. Chapter 7

  
  


**Beautiful Mind**

As the last stitch of clothing hit the floor she blushed and looked away from him.  She was ready for this to be some kind of joke.  For him to laugh now that he had her standing completely bare to him.

“After all this time are you actually nervous?”  He asked sounding slightly amused as his fingers tilted her chin up.

It wasn’t until this moment that Hermione really felt the height difference between the two of them.  It must have been something about the fact he was still wearing all his clothes.

“I know I’m not the prettiest girl in the school.”  She informed him as she stood strong.  “But we both know you’re the most handsome boy.”

He looked down at her with amusement shining on his face.  Without saying a word he leaned down, placing a soft kiss where her neck met her shoulder.  Her breath deepened as his soft lips tickled her skin.

She reminded herself that this was just carnal desire.  How could someone not desire someone as witty, intelligent, and beautiful as him?  If she gave herself tonight, if she just surrendered once, she’d be able to refocus on a life of her own making.

“You’re overthinking.”  Tom said as he bit her neck hard enough to leave a mark.

She gasped pulling away from the pain and frowning at him.  “Oh am I?”  She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

He raised an eyebrow at her and eyed the posture.  “Am I going to have to tie you down?”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?”  She snapped getting more nervous the longer he stayed clothed.

A wide smile spread across his lips.  “I think I would.” he said stepping up to her again and running a finger along the mark he made.  “Do you think I really care at all about physical beauty beyond the things mine can gain me?”

She blinked at him a few times as the question caught her off guard.

“That being said, I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.”  He added letting gentle fingers run over her chest and lightly brush her nipple.

She jumped slightly at the feel of his fingers and shook her head after a moment of thought.  She looked away from him again, very unsure of how to handle herself in this situation.

“What has you so deep inside your own head?”  He asked grasping her neck to force her to look at him again.  “Tell me pet.”  He commanded her.

“I hate that you call me that.”  She snapped as she glared at him.

Tom laughed and shook his head.  “No you don’t.  You enjoy being my pet if you want to admit it or not.  But we were talking about other things, now answer the question.”

“There’s too much to say and I don’t want to have this conversation naked.”  She growled as she tried to pull herself from his hold.

His fingers only tightened around her neck.  “Would you prefer to tell me naked, kneeling at my feet?”  He warned.

She glared at him a moment, daring him with her eyes to make good on the threat.

“As my pet wishes.”  He said calmly before he forced her down to her knees.

“Tom stop.”  She ordered as his grip only held.

“What word will end tonight?”  He asked suddenly very serious.

She swallowed not understanding at first before she remembered his request.  “Mercy.”

“Do you wish to say it?”  Tom asked holding tight enough that he was making it hard to breath.

She looked up into his eyes for a long moment before shaking her head.  “No.”

“Good.” he said pulling her back to her feet then guiding her over to her bed all by her neck.  “Then I think a punishment is in order.”

“What?  Why?”  She asked struggling again.

He bent her over the bed so that her face was against the sheets and her arse was well in reach.

“You’ve been generally belligerent since we started this game, you’ve refused to answer a direct question, and you referred to me by my first name.”  He said as his free hand ran over her the round of her arse.

“You’re going to spank me?”  She asked her arse wiggling against his hand as she tried to free herself.

“I think ten is a good number for the first time.”  He said thoughtfully.

Before she could say another word his hand lifted and came down hard on her rear.  Hermione gasped and her eyes widened at the completely new sensation.  When the hand came down for another smack she stilled under his hold unsure of how she should really be reacting.

“You’re losing focus, I want you to count the strikes.   I’ll start over.”  He told her letting his hand run over her slightly pink skin.

“What?  Why?”  She asked unsure of what she had done now.

“Focus completely on me, when I grant you pleasure or pain it should be the only thing in your mind.” he told her before spanking her again.

“One.”  She said unsurely as she tried to clear her mind of all the other thoughts that seemed to collect in it.

“Better.” He told her softly, rewarding her with a gentle stroke before he smacked her harder than the first.

“Two.”  She gasped as the strike seemed to move straight to the core between her legs, making her body clench around nothing and her legs shift.

“Did you like that?”  He asked leaning down over her so he could speak more softly.  Before she could answer he spanked her three times in quick succession.

“Three, four, five, yes!”  She said quickly as she didn’t want him to start over.  When she realized how she had answered his question she buried her face in her sheets.

“What a perfect little pet you are.”  Tom almost cooed above her. His hand soothing the red skin and dipping between her legs to feel her body’s response.  She whimpered when she felt his probing fingers push into her excited womanhood.  “No reason to be embarrassed pet.”  He told her as he pushed her legs apart so he could fondle her more directly.  “I enjoy giving pain, and its better that you enjoy receiving it.”

“I don’t…” Hermione started but a quick swat to her arse with his free hand stopped her cold. She let out a soft moan before shaking her head.  “This is wrong.”  She told him as her body yearned to push back against his hand.

“There’s nothing wrong about two consensual peers enjoying each other’s pleasure.”  Tom said as he pulled his wonderful fingers away leaving her feeling empty and needful.

When she heard him move away from her she looked over her shoulder in time to see him picking up a towel and wiping his fingers on it.  He looked up at her smirking as he made his way back to her side.

“You’re being very good.”  He told her as he brushed hair from her face.  “I think I’ll reward you with a choice.  You can either take your last five strikes or you can serve your penance on your knees.”  He said with mischief in his eyes.

Why had she agreed to this again?  Looking him in the eyes she narrowed her gaze and shook her head.  “I’ll take five more.”  She told him firmly.

“I knew you enjoyed it.”  He said putting a firm hand on her back before spanking her five times in quick order.

“Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”  She said as she tried to keep up.  She was gasping after the short burst and she really wasn’t sure why.

“Have you ever been with anyone before pet?”

Hermione reddened and looked away.  “I think you already know the answer to that my Lord.”  She said not wishing to look at him.

“I wasn’t completely sure.”  He admitted as his hand slid over her back.

“You’re the only one that gives me that kind of attention.  Why else do you think I’m desperate enough to agree to this?”  She asked cuttingly.

He chuckled as he gave her bottom a final smack then rolled her over so he could look down into her eyes.  He studied her for a moment looking for something Hermione couldn’t place.

“Maybe I’m the only one who can really see you.”  He said as he moved to a more dominant position on top of her.  “Why do you think it’s so bad to admit you like what you see in me?”

Hermione frowned and looked up into his dark eyes.  “What I see in you?”  She asked with a frown.  “Mostly a see a man who treats others as if they were things instead of people.  What’s there to…”  She was cut off as he took her mouth in a demanding kiss, plundering it and making her feel wonderfully weak.  When he pulled away he was smiling.

“You see a man who can not only keep up with you, but can beat you.  That can be very attractive to a woman as rare as yourself.”  He told her before he leaned down to kiss her neck this time.

He moved her chin up to give himself better access to her skin, and grasped her neck as his mouth moved down her chest.  She was too distracted by the wonderful talents his tongue and teeth had to respond to his words.  It wasn’t a dream this time, but she’d let herself enjoy it.

By the time he was nibbling the inside of her upper thigh she was shaking with need.  “Please?”  She gasped unable to hold it back any longer.  She felt him smile against her heat and then he was pulling away.  “What?”  She asked opening her eyes to see him carefully striping out of his clothes.

“I think you need a moment to cool off.  Move back on the bed.”  He told her motioning with his head.

She licked her lips but complied with the command.  It wasn’t until he stilled for a long moment that she remembered the old scar on her foot.  She tried to tug the foot away but he had it in his grasp before she could move.

He held the ankle painfully as he moved her foot to get a better look at the old burn.

“You seriously injured yourself to write this.”  He said as he obviously recognized her hand writing.  “Care to explain?”

Hermione tried to yank her foot away to no avail.  “It’s something I did years ago.”  She said as she tried to think of a good lie.

“Year ago?”  Tom ran his thumb over the scar.  “But why?”

“I was mad at you!”  She snapped pulling her leg again, this time he let her go.

“You were mad at me?”  He asked doubtfully.  “So you burnt yourself?  Do I need to punish you for lying now?”

“I don’t exactly remember doing it.”  She said honestly.  “And I really can’t explain it more than that.  Maybe you should go.”

“No.”  He said as he straightened then continued to undress.  “I want you to tell me what you think evil is.”  He ordered looking her directly in the eyes.

“I told you…”  She said with a frown.

“You’ve described selfish.”  He said as he let piece after piece of clothing drop to the floor.  “Maybe I’m not selfish, maybe I just have very few people I care about.”

Hermione laughed and shook her head.  “You don’t actually care about anyone.”  She reminded him.

“I care about you.”  He said as he knelt between her legs.

“Maybe as you see me as an extension of yourself.”

He crawled up her body like a predator stalking his prey.  “How do you do that exactly?” he asked as he looked down into her eyes curiously.

“Do what?”  She asked frowning in confusion.

“See me as clearly as I see you?”  He asked running his knuckles down her cheek.

“Maybe I’m just very good at keeping my eyes open.”  She said, her breaths coming hard once again with him so close.  She could feel his skin against hers and it made her tingle wonderfully under him.

“I enjoy that about you.”  He told her before he took her in one painfully sweet thrust.  He held himself inside her waiting for her body to adjust and relax around him.  As the pain ebbed away and a sense of being wonderfully filled replaced it she moved her hips back against his.

That night there coupling was slow and almost sweet.  It promised a shared pleasure and Hermione screamed his name before the end.  After she was completely and truly spent she fell asleep with him still laying next to her.

When she woke the next morning he was gone, but a message hung above her bed in sparkling green letters.

_If you think I will ever give you up now, you are not as smart as I once thought you to be._

_~Riddle_

 


	8. Chapter 8

  
  


**Cold as Ice**

The next few months were wonderfully sinful.  Most days it was like nothing had changed.  But every so often Tom would get a look in their eyes and he wouldn’t let her go until she was screaming for more.

School life continued on its normal path until one day a third year boy was found petrified in the boy’s loo.  A few weeks after that a girl’s pet cat was dead by similar means.  Rumors started to fly, the legend of the heir of Slytherin was leaked.  Everything seemed to be breaking into chaos when a fourth year student was found dead.

During all this time as things got worse and worse there was only one person Hermione looked to.  She knew there was only one person at the school that had the cunning to do all of if and not get caught.

When she was with Tom she acted as before, sometimes cold, but already giving in when he sought her company in private.  But during the day she watched him whenever she could.  She followed him as much as she could without getting found out.  She needed to discover how he was doing this, and stop him from killing again.

It was nearly Christmas when she felt him rise from her bed in the middle of the night.  She wondered how many times he’d left her so early and she’d never noticed before.  She pretended to sleep as she listened to him dress.

Once he left she got to her feet as quickly as she could and started summoning clothing to her as she dressed as quickly as she could.  She disillusioned herself simply as she moved as fast as she dared, following Tom down to the first floor.

At the bottom of the stairs in the entrance hall she watched as he looked around to see if anyone was watching.  When he decided it was safe he started to speak quietly.  Hermione moved slowly closer as she tried to hear was he was saying, but he stopped speaking before she was close enough to catch a single word.

She watched him for a moment, a determined look on his face before he made his way down into the dungeons of the castle.  Hermione followed as she wondered what he was up to.  She watched as he entered a dark doorway and used the shadow to hide himself from the hall.

For a moment she’d thought he had figured out she was following him, until she heard someone else coming their way.  She flattened herself against the wall and waited with Riddle.  She had to wonder what all of this was about.

Hermione’s eyes widened as she realized it was the sweet and kind Hagrid who was sneaking around so late in the castle.  She was about to give herself away when Tom stepped out of his hiding place and started to follow the younger student.

She decided maybe Hagrid was his next victim, and thought it would be better if she caught Tom in the act.  At least this way she could stop him before he killed the younger student.

They followed the footsteps until Tom stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises.  Hermione heard a door creak open, and then Hagrid speaking in a hoarse whisper.

“C’mon… gotta get yeh outta here… C’mon now… in the box…”

Tom suddenly jumped around the corner.  Hermione moved to keep him in sight, but stayed out of the way.  She could see the dark outline of Hagrid crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.

“Evening, _Rubeus_.”  Tom said sharply.

Hagrid slammed the door shut and stood up.

“What yer doin’ down here Tom?”

Tom stepped closer to him and Hermione moved closer to Tom.

“It’s all over,” he said “I’m going to have to turn you in, _Rubeus_.  They’re talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don’t stop.”

Hermione blinked and looked between Tom and Hagrid.  There was no way the sweet fourth year could be causing these attacks.  How could Tom think such a thing?

“What d’yeh-”

“I don’t think you meant to kill anyone.  But monsters don’t make good pets.  I suppose you just let it out for exercise and-”

“It never killed no one!” The younger student said as he backed against the closed door.  From behind Hermione could hear a funny rustling and clicking.

“Come on, Rubeus,” Said Tom, moving closer.  “Think of the dead girl’s parents.  The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…”

“It wasn’t him!” Hagrid roared, his voice echoing in the dark passage.  “He wouldn’!  He never!”

“Stand aside,” Tom said, drawing his wand.

Hermione held her breath as his spell filled the corridor with a sudden flaming light.  The door behind the larger boy flew open with such force it knocked him into the wall opposite.  And out of it came something that made Hermione hold both hands over her mouth.

A vast, low-slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pincers.  Tom raised his wand again, but he was too late.  The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight.  Tom scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but Hagrid leapt on him, seized his wand, and threw him back down yelling, “NOOOOOOO!”

Tom narrowed his eyes back up at the younger but larger boy and got to his feet once again.  “You let it get away.  It’s on you if it kills again, completely on you.” he said snatching his wand from the boy before he righted himself.  “I’ll be going to the Headmaster about all of this.”  He told Rubeus coldly.

He turned with a swirl of his robes before heading back up the way he’d come.  Hermione was torn about what to do.  It hadn’t been Tom after all, but Hagrid looked so broken at the loss of his dangerous pet.

After a moment’s hesitation she decided it would be best if she headed back up to her dorm and pretend to not have witnessed what she just witnessed.  It wouldn’t help anyone but Tom to have a second person knowing what really happened tonight, and Tom could help himself enough.

When she got back to their dorm Hermione carefully slipped out of her clothes and climbed back into bed as naked as she’d been a few hours before.  She laid down and tried to sleep, but her brain wouldn’t stop going over the events of the night.

It was a few hours before she heard the outer door open.  She couldn’t help but wonder if Tom would rejoin her or slip into his own bed.  She didn’t have much time to wonder when her door opened.

“You’re already awake.”  Tom said after a short pause.

She sat up and looked to him blinking at the light behind him.  “I woke and you were gone.”  She said letting the suspicion she felt seep into her voice.

“Yes, I made a decision tonight.” he started with a sigh as he stepped further into her room and started to undress.

She raised an eyebrow at him.  “I know you probably won’t believe me, but Rubeus Hagrid was behind the student’s… He had a creature in the castle that he couldn’t control.”

Hermione frowned and shook her head as she saw how much of his mask Tom was hiding behind.  She wondered what she’d missed about tonight.  “Is he okay?”  She finally asked.

“Mostly.  They have decided to expel him.”

“And this creature?”  She asked knowing she should be curious about it.

“They think its run off into the Forbidden Forest.”  Tom told her tiredly.  “I’m sure you’ll hear more about it tomorrow, right now I just want to sleep.”

“You could have done that in your own bed.”  She reminded him, wondering why he had come back into her room.

“I do it better here.”  He told without emotion as if it was that simple.  He paused for a moment, waiting to see what she’d say.

Hermione nodded and laid back down in the bed, waiting for him to move in behind her and wrap his arms around her.  “I think your room smells better than mine.” he said against her ear.

“Maybe you should clean it more.”  She answered tiredly.

He chuckled and kissed her neck.  “It smells clean, it just doesn’t smell like you.”

The next day the school was abuzz with rumors of what had happened the night before.  No one seemed to know the exact events, but it was clear to everyone that Tom had somehow saved the school and all the students within it.  Hermione had been there, but something was keeping her from buying it completely.

Most of the students were leaving for the Holiday, like always only a few were staying at the school for the season.  Once the other students had left Hermione spent most of her day following Tom around the school to see what he’d do now that no one else was around to see.

After dinner he headed out onto the grounds, making his way slowly into the Forbidden Forest.  She wondered if he planned to try and track down the creature himself.  They were a good ways into the forest when he stopped and started to hiss in a way that sent a small odd thrill down her spine.

Hermione frowned and looked around wondering what he was doing hissing in the woods when she saw the answer to her question.  The fifty foot long hissing answer to her question.  She held her breath and watched as Tom seemed to be speaking to the snake, no, not snake, Basilisk.  It was huge and Hermione suddenly realized it was a perfect fit for every odd attack on the students.

She closed her eyes quickly, knowing to look into a Basilisk’s gaze meant death.  Her heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to think of a good retreat from her situation.  She had to warn the school that the monster was still very much a danger.

Taking a step back Hermione stepped on a twig, the cracking sound echoing through the area.  When she heard the snake turn to look she threw caution to the wind and turned to make a run for it.  She dropped her spell so that she could focus more on running away.

“HERMIONE!”  Tom yelled behind her.  She could hear him hissing again and then the sound of the large snake turned away and all that could be heard was the footfalls of the two students.

“Hermione stop!  I can explain!  He won’t hurt anyone else!”  Tom called after her as he chased her down.

Suddenly the forest ended and she found herself at the edge of the frozen lake.  She could see the lights of the castle glowing in the distance.  With a quick glance behind her she decided to take the risk and plunged out onto the ice.

“Don’t make me do this Hermione, you’re too valuable to me.”  Tom was still chasing her out onto the lake.  “Don’t make me destroy such a beautiful MIN…”  A sudden crashing sound interrupted his words and Hermione turned in time to see him fall into the ice cold water.


	9. Chapter 9

**Epilogue: Wizard’s Debt**

The numbness from the ice spread through his body until he could no longer move.  He tried to reach for his wand, but he couldn’t even find his hands.  So this was the way he would die, in darkness and cold.  It seemed oddly fitting for the way he’d lived his life, but he brain wouldn’t give up completely.  He wouldn’t go to the afterlife without a fight.

Tom kicked and beat his numb limbs.  He tried to get them to move him up towards the surface, but he couldn’t even figure out which way that was.  Suddenly the darkness was pulling him down faster and faster and then there was only the blackness of death.

When he started to feel again it was like his body was on fire.  He screamed in pain as every nerve betrayed him.  He could hear soothing words, but they were very far away.  They tormented him and he realized he had to be in hell.  He sneered at the idea, at least he could form a plan if hell was real.  He would be ruling it soon enough.

Time passed and the pain ebbed away.  Cool gentle hands toweled the sweat from his brow.  When he looked up into the angel's face he frowned at the familiar curve of her lips.  Why was his pet here in hell with him, had she fallen into the ice as well?

“You’re awake.”  She said calmly cupping his cheek with cool hands and driving away the heat that lingered there.  “You have a bad fever, and I was afraid to go to the nurse.”  She told him softly.

“I’m alive?”  he asked with a sore throat.  He must have been screaming loudly through the painful dreams.

Hermione grimaced but nodded.  “When you fell through the ice I couldn’t…”

“You saved me?”  Tom asked looking up into her face with new curiosity.  “And you haven’t told anyone about the Basilisk?”  He added looking around to find himself in his own dorm.

“I had time to think as I hovered you back to the castle.”  She told him a firm frown in place that meant she was determined.  “You owe me a Wizard’s Debt now.”  She told him straightening her back.  “And if you don’t honor it I will go to the Headmaster.”

“What do you want?”  Tom asked blinking.

“To be your conscious, like you promised.  I’ll require an Unbreakable Vow that you’ll listen to me when it comes to matters of morality.”

“Why?  Why not just turn me in, or let me die in the lake?”  He asked sounding very confused, even to his own ears.

“You have a beautifully brilliant mind Tom Riddle, and I don’t think there’s another man on earth that could keep up with me.”  She told him thoughtfully.

He looked up into her eyes for a moment and nodded.  “I agree to your terms, but I’ll have terms of my own if this is going to work out.”

“You’re still not completely well and you already have terms?”  She asked somewhat amused.

“Oh I have many terms to this future you’re describing.  But the first, the only one I care about now is that you swear to always be honest with me.”  He said searching her eyes.  “I’ll even go as far as exchanging that Vow with you as well.”

She looked at him for a long time before she nodded.  “That is fair.”  She had to admit.  “We need a third to seal the vows, but that can wait until you’re better.”

“How long have I been fevered?”  He asked sitting up slowly.  His stomach growled and it felt like days since he’d eaten.

“Three days… Happy Christmas.”  Hermione said with a bit of a chuckle.

“I’m starving.”  He stated ignoring the merry smirk she gave him.

“I’ll go get you some broth from the kitchen.  You try and rest, you almost died.”  She reminded him before leaving his room.

It was the day the rest of the students returned from the Holiday and Tom had a few of his most loyal gathered in the common room he shared with Hermione.  Once they were settled he looked over his followers and spoke.

“I’m sure you all are wondering what happened over the holiday.  What are the rumors among the students?”

“They say that oafish fool somehow let a monster into the school.  He’s been expelled from school, his wand was broken.  It’s ridiculous to have given a wand to that half-breed from the start. Worst than mudbloods.”  Abraxas said with a shake of his head, then the blond smiled.  “They also say you’ll be getting a commendation for service to the school for stopping him my Lord.” he reported sounding pleased to do so.

“Very good.”  Tom smiled and leaned back in thought.  “She won’t be able to stop it now and it’s not like she can judge me for past deeds.”  He muttered to himself.

“Who my Lord?”  A younger Slytherin asked.  The rest shot him a warning look.

“You all may go.  Abraxas stay, I have need of your service.”  He said waving the rest away.  The young Malfoy looked pleased with himself, and shot the rest a smug expression.

“This information is not to leave this room until I deem it needful.  Do you understand?”  Tom said in a cold firm voice.

“Yes my Lord. I am honored by your trust.”  Abraxus answered with a bowed head.

“I need you to seal two Unbreakables Vows between myself and Hermione Granger.”  He said plainly.

“What?  Why would you take an Unbreakable Vow with a nosey mudblood like her?”  Abraxas asked in disgust.

“Are you questioning me?”  Tom asked in the still tone that made those who knew him shake.

“N-no, my Lord.”  The man stuttered.

“Good, because you’re going to have to get used to her.  She’s a useful tool that I will not toss away.”  He said sitting back in his chair.

“Yes my Lord.”  The Malfoy said bowing his head before getting to his feet.  “Will there be anything else?”

“One thing.”  Tom said rising to his feet as well.  “Only I get to call her mudblood.   _ **Crucio**_ **.** ”  He added as he almost lazily watched as his follower collapsed on the ground.

“I haven’t taken any vows yet.”  He told the twitching figure.

 


End file.
